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Saturday, June 10, 2017

Another Mental Illness Tragedy Being Bent into the Black Lives Matter Mold

(CNN)A mental health call turned into a deadly shooting in Oklahoma when three law enforcement officers confronted a knife-wielding man outside a convenience store, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said.

Two deputies and one Tulsa police officer opened fire and shot 29-year-old Joshua Barre on Friday morning. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies with the county's mental health team had gone to Barre's home earlier Friday to take him into custody for a mental health evaluation.

But when they arrived, a neighbor told them Barre was in the street holding two large knives, the sheriff's office said.

Police received four 911 calls about a man walking with "two butcher knives" and who was threatening people, officials said.

When deputies found Barre, they ordered him to drop the knives, but he walked away.Fearing that he would go into a convenience store and endanger the public, he was given commands to stop and not enter the store, the sheriff's office said in a news release.A confrontation ensued at the entrance to the convenience store. A deputy used a stun gun on Barre but "it had no effect," then two deputies and one police officer fired at him, the sheriff's office said.

This was not their first interaction with him because of mental illness and threats to others. It sounds like they made less than lethal attempts, without success and had good reason to fear for their safety. Inevitable BLM response.